Grain-drier



H. c. ELLlS.-

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1919.

1,327,863. PatehtedJan. 13,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W366: I Zwuewfior;

H. C. ELLIS.

.GRAIN DRIER.

APPLICATION man mm. 1919.

1,327,863. Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

HUBERT C. ELLIS, OF EVANST ON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIS DRIER & ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

GRAIN-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed January 2, 1919. Serial No. 269,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT C. ELLIS, a subject. of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Driers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to grain driers and more particularly to that type in which a series of heated pipes are rotated through a trough to bring the and agitate the grain.

One object of the invention is tov provide an improved rotatable head for the steam pipes, which is constructed to insure discharge of the condensation. A further object is to provide a head for this purpose which is simple in construction and can be produced at a low cost.

A further object of the invention .is to provide an improved connection between the stationary supply and outlet'pipes and the rotatable head which will eifectively prevent leakage and which will avoid wear and stresses likely to result in leakage from fiexing or straining of said pipes.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and-more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drier embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the connection between the stationary steam-supply and exhaust pipes and the trunnion on the rotatable head to which the steam pipes are connected; Fig. 3 'is a longitudinal section through said head and a portion of thetrough. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a section. taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a drier which comprises aninclined trough 9 supported by suitable framework 10 and provided with a grain outlet 11 adjacent the lower end thereof, a shaft 12 which is mounted in a suitable bearing 13. and .has aflixed thereto a gear whee1'14 which is driven by' a pinion 15 on a shaft 16 which is driven by a pulley; 17, all of;

pipes in contact with charge chamber 27 A head 18 is fixed to one end of the shaft 12 and supports the inlet ends of the inner heater pipes 19 and the outer heater-pipes 20, while a spider 21, adjacent the other end of the trough 9, supports the other end of the discharge ipes, so that these pipes may be rotated b0 ily through the mass in the trough. Flights 22 are usually secured to rotate with the pipes and head to agitate the grain in the trough and deflect it against the-heater pipes. The head 18 comprises a hollow annular portion 23, a hub-portion 24 and hollow arms or spokes 25 between the hub and said annular portion. The hub, arms and annular portion of this head are integrally formed and an intermediate transverse wall 26, extending through the annular portion, arms and hub, divides the head into a supply-chamber 27 and a dis- The inner heaterpipes 19 are secured in the transverse wall 26 of the head and are adapted to conduct steam from the supply chamber into the pipes 20; One'end of each outer heaterpipe 20 is open and is secured to the inner wall of the head and communicates with the discharge chamber in the head and the other end of said pipe is closed. The 2111- nular portion of the supply chamber 27.is divided by radial partitions 28 which are, in effect, extensions of the walls at one side of the arms, into a series of arcuate chambers 29, each ofwhich is in communication through a duct 30 in one of the arms with the central inlet 31 in the hub 24 of the 40 communicating with the supply-duct 31 in the head 18 and with ducts .41 communieating and registering with the dischargeducts 3 5 at the inner ends of radial ducts "34. -This trunnion is supported in a suitable. bearing 42 and supports one end of the rotatable structure. Duct 40 and 41 extend to the outer end of the trunnion 37 and are respectively connected. by a suitable. couexhaust will pass pling to a stationary steam supply-pipe 13 and a stationary outlet pipe eta.

This couplingcomprises a casing 4C5 provided with an inlet-chamber 46, to which the pipe 4&3 is connected, an internal wall 4:7 and an outlet chamber as to which the outlet pipe 4% is connected and a ring 56. The

central portion of the outer end of trunnion 37 is provided with a reduced extension 50 which is supported in the wall t7 and is connected thereto so as to form a stean'i-tight joint by aresilient split ring 51 which is held in a groove on said extension by a collar 52. The periphery of ring 51 is curved so that any movement of the casing 4.5 will not cause any leakage of steam from the inlet chamber Hi to the outlet chamber 48. A ball and socket joint is formed between the outer end of that portion of the trunnion 37 Which contains the ducts 11 by a ring 5 L which is screw-threaded to the trunnion-end and has a spherical portion fitting in a bearing formed in the ring 56, which is secured to the inner face of the casing 45 by bolts'57. ring 56.

In operation, the head 18, heater-pipes, spider 21 and the flights 22 will be constantly rotated through the mass in the trough by the driving mechanism, and steam from the stationary supply-pipe 48 will be constantly supplied to the rotating heater pipes. Live-steam will pass from chamber 46 in the coupling-casing -15 into the outer end of the central duct 40 in the trunnion 87, thence through the radial ducts 30, arcuate ducts 29 and inner heater pipes 19 into the outer pipes 20 to keep the latter constantly heated. The condensation and from the pipes 20 into the arcuate chambers 33, thence through ducts M in the hub of the head, ducts 4:1 in the trunnion and chamber 48 into the outlet pipe 44.

A characteristic of this construction is that rotation of the head in the direction in dicated by the arrow in Fig. 6 will cause the condensation in each arcuate duct 33, during its initial upward movement, to flow by gravity into the corners between that duct and its communicating radial duct 34, and

after the radial duct passes the horizontal, the condensation will drain into the com municating central duct 35, thus insuring etfective drainage of the condensation, successively from the outlet sections of chambers in the head. An additional advantage is that this head can be formed so as to avoid unnecessary weight, can be produced at a low cost and can be economically operated. A characteristic advantage of the coupling between the trunnion and the statienary supply and outlet pipes is that it forms a flexible connection and any relative movement of the rotating and stationary An oil duct 58 is formed in the maybe modified within the scope of the .ap-

pended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a drier, the combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes, a rotatable head to which the pipes are connected, comprising an annular portion, a hub and connecting arms, said annular portion, spokes and hub having supply and outlet ducts therein, and means for supplying heating fluid to said head.

2. Ina drier, the. combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes, a rotatable head to which the pipes are connected comprising an annular portion, a hub and connecting arms, said annular portion, spokes and hub having supply and outlet ducts therein, a trunnion rotatable with the head and having supply and outlet ducts therein communicating respectively with supply and outlet ducts in the hub, and means for supplying heating fluid to the supply duct in said trunnion.

8. {In a drier, the combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes, a rotatable headto which the 100 pipes are connected com-prising a hollow annular portion, a hub, connecting arms, and a transverse wall in said annular portion dividing it into supply and outlet chambers, and means to supply heating fluid to said supply ducts.

4:. In a drier, the combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes and a rotatable head to which the pipes are connected, comprising an an nular portion, a hub and connecting arms, and a transverse wall in said annular portion and said arms,- dividing the head into supply and outlet chambers and ducts, and means for supplying heating fluid to said 115 supply duets. I

5. In a drier, the combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes, a rotatable head to which the pipes are connected, comprising a hollow 120 annular portion provided with means dividing it into a series of arcnate chambers and with supply and eutlet ducts, and means to supply heating fluid to said supply ducts.

6. In a drier, the combination with a sta 125 tionary treiighor reeei aele, or a series of heater pipes, a rotatab'ehead to which the pipes are ceimected, comprising a hollow annular portion, a hub and spokes, a transverse wall dividing said annular portions 130 and spokes into inlet and outlet chambers and ducts and Walls dividing the annular portion into a series of arcuate annular chambers, and means to supply heating fluid to said supply ducts.

7 In a drier, the combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes, a rotatable head to which the pipes are connected, a trunnion provided with supply and outlet ducts, a stationary pipe, a coupling between said pipe and said trunnion comprising a casing to which said pipe is connected, a bearing between the outer portion of said trunnion and said casing, a central extension on the trunnion and a resilient ring between the extension and the casing.

8. In a drier, the combination with a stationary trough or receptacle, of a series of heater pipes, a rotatable head to which the pipes are connected, a trunnion provided with supply and outlet ducts, stationary supply and outlet pipes, a coupling between said pipes and said trunnion comprising a casing, a ball and socket bearing between the outer portion of the trunnion and said casing, a central extension on the trunnion, and a resilient split ring between the extension and the casing.

HUBERT C. ELLIS. 

